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Unit 1 - Notes

JAP601 5 min read

Unit 1: まいにちのあいさつとひょうげん (Mainichi no Aisatsu to Hyōgen)

Translation: Everyday Greetings and Expressions

This unit introduces the foundational elements of the Japanese language: the first five Hiragana characters, basic numbers, essential vocabulary for the classroom setting, and common daily greetings.

1. ひらがな (Hiragana) - The Basic Vowels

Hiragana is one of the three Japanese writing systems (along with Katakana and Kanji). It is a phonetic syllabary, where each character corresponds to a specific sound. We will start with the five fundamental vowel sounds that form the basis of all other Hiragana characters.

Hiragana Romaji Pronunciation Guide Stroke Order (Follow the numbers)
あ a "ah" as in "father" 1. A horizontal line from left to right. 2. A vertical line crossing the first. 3. A looping stroke.
い i "ee" as in "see" 1. A curved vertical stroke with a slight hook up. 2. A shorter, similar stroke to the right.
う u "oo" as in "moon" 1. A short diagonal tick at the top. 2. A large, curving stroke underneath.
え e "eh" as in "get" 1. A short, slightly diagonal tick at the top. 2. A single, complex stroke that goes down, across, and then waves to the right.
お o "oh" as in "go" 1. A horizontal line. 2. A vertical stroke that loops around. 3. A small dash (ten-ten) to the right.

2. 日本語の数字 (Nihongo no Sūji) - Japanese Numbers (1-10)

Numbers in Japanese have their own Kanji characters and unique pronunciations. Note that some numbers have multiple common readings. We will highlight the most common ones used for counting.

Number Kanji Reading (Hiragana) Reading (Romaji) Notes
1 一 いち ichi
2 二 に ni
3 三 さん san
4 四 し / よん shi / yon し (shi) is sometimes avoided as it sounds like the word for death (死). よん (yon) is often preferred.
5 五 ご go
6 六 ろく roku
7 七 しち / なな shichi / nana しち (shichi) is the traditional reading. なな (nana) is often used to avoid confusion with いち (ichi) (1) and し (shi) (4).
8 八 はち hachi
9 九 きゅう / く kyū / ku く (ku) is sometimes avoided as it sounds like the word for suffering (苦). きゅう (kyū) is more common.
10 十 じゅう jū

3. 基本的な名詞 (Kihon-teki na Meishi) - Basic Nouns

These are essential nouns related to the educational environment.

People (人 - hito)

  • せんせい (Sensei)

    • Kanji: 先生
    • Meaning: Teacher, Professor, Instructor.
    • Detailed Notes: This is a term of respect used not only for academic teachers but also for doctors, lawyers, artists, and other masters of a craft. It can be used as a title (e.g., Tanaka-sensei) or to refer to a teacher directly. You would not use this term to refer to yourself.

  • せいと (Seito)

    • Kanji: 生徒
    • Meaning: Student, Pupil.
    • Detailed Notes: This term generally refers to students from elementary school through high school. University students are more commonly called がくせい (gakusei - 学生).

Places (場所 - basho)

  • がっこう (Gakkō)

    • Kanji: 学校
    • Meaning: School.
    • Detailed Notes: This is a general term for any school, from elementary to high school.

  • だいがく (Daigaku)

    • Kanji: 大学
    • Meaning: University, College.

  • きょうしつ (Kyōshitsu)

    • Kanji: 教室
    • Meaning: Classroom.

4. あいさつと表現 (Aisatsu to Hyōgen) - Greetings and Expressions

These are fundamental phrases for daily interaction. The level of formality is very important in Japanese.

Time-Based Greetings

  • おはようございます (Ohayō gozaimasu)

    • Translation: Good morning.
    • Usage: Used from early morning until around 10:00 or 11:00 AM.
    • Formality: This is the polite, formal version. It should be used when speaking to teachers, superiors, elders, or people you don't know well.
    • Informal Version: おはよう (Ohayō). Used with close friends, family, and peers.

  • こんにちは (Konnichiwa)

    • Translation: Hello / Good afternoon.
    • Usage: A general-purpose greeting used from late morning (around 11:00 AM) until evening (around 5:00 or 6:00 PM).
    • Grammar Note: The final character は is the topic particle ha, but when used in this greeting, it is pronounced wa. The literal meaning is something like "As for this day...".

  • こんばんは (Konbanwa)

    • Translation: Good evening.
    • Usage: Used in the evening and at night.
    • Grammar Note: Like こんにちは, the final character は is pronounced wa. The literal meaning is "As for this evening...".

Situational Expressions

  • もしもし (Moshi moshi)

    • Translation: Hello?
    • Usage: Used exclusively on the telephone. You use it when you answer the phone or to get the attention of the person on the other end if you can't hear them. It is never used as a face-to-face greeting.

  • お元気ですか (Ogenki desu ka)

    • Translation: How are you?
    • Breakdown:
      • お (o): An honorific prefix to show politeness.
      • 元気 (genki): Health, energy, spirit.
      • です (desu): The copula (is/am/are).
      • か (ka): The question particle. It turns a statement into a question.
    • Usage: While it translates to "How are you?", it is not used as frequently as in English. It's typically used when you haven't seen someone for a while.
    • Common Responses:
      • Formal: はい、元気です。 (Hai, genki desu.) - Yes, I am fine.
      • Polite: ええ、おかげさまで。 (Ee, okagesama de.) - Yes, thanks to you (I am well). This is a very common and polite response.
    • Informal Version: 元気？ (Genki?). Used with close friends.

  • お久しぶりですね (Ohisashiburi desu ne)

    • Translation: Long time no see. / It's been a while, hasn't it?
    • Breakdown:
      • お (o): Honorific prefix.
      • 久しぶり (hisashiburi): After a long interval of time.
      • です (desu): The copula (is/am/are).
      • ね (ne): A sentence-ending particle used to seek agreement or confirmation, similar to "...isn't it?" or "...right?".
    • Usage: Used when you meet someone you have not seen for a significant amount of time (weeks, months, or years).
    • Informal Version: 久しぶり！ (Hisashiburi!). Used with close friends and peers.
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Unit 2